Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday announced that he will convene a special session of the Virginia legislature in July to revisit measures that could help prevent another gun massacre as occurred in Virginia Beach last week.

As the Senate Democratic leader, Falls Church’s State Sen. Richard Saslaw has alerted legislative services in Richmond for purposes of refiling legislation from the last session that “address areas of concern” on the subject. He cited 14 bills that were blocked by Republicans in committee and thereby prevented from getting to a floor vote in the last session. “I applaud the governor and am hopeful that consequential legislation will come out of this special session,” Saslaw said.

He told the News-Press in an interview that, in this state legislative election year, he is hopeful that some Republicans, who now hold a one-seat majority in the Senate, will break ranks to get something done.